Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Characters

Not every character is created equal, but how we treat each one is equally important.

When writing a story, I draw a distinction between Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary characters:

• Primary Characters: The major players in a story, appearing in numerous scenes throughout the script, the focal point of the Plotline and/or key subplots.
• Secondary Characters: Important but supporting roles, generally appearing in fewer scenes and with a narrower narrative function.
• Tertiary Characters: Bit players who appear in one scene to perform a single function in relation to the plot.

The key with Secondary and Tertiary characters is the same as with Primary ones: What is their narrative function? If they provide information, they are Mentors. If they screw around with the Protagonist, they are Tricksters.

That said, you can treat them differently in the scripting process. For example, character names:

Primary: First name
Secondary: Last name
Tertiary: Generic title

Since Primary characters appear in a majority of scenes in a script and one of your goals is to create some sort of emotional connection between them and the reader, the default mode is to assign first names to them, one small way to engender a sense of intimacy.

As a way of helping a reader distinguish Primary and Secondary characters, I use last names for the latter. If I don’t need to establish a significant level of intimacy with a character who will only be around for a few scenes or a minor subplot, why waste a first name on them?

And then there are Tertiary characters. Playing important but bit parts, how best to designate them? Instead of COP #1, why not BURLY COP? HOOKER #3, how about SPANDEX HOOKER? In lieu of the generic CROWD MEMBER, maybe OBNOXIOUS HECKLER. Those descriptors also make for a more colorful, memorable read.

That’s my approach. Not etched in stone anywhere, but it provides a consistent way of handling character names.

No matter if your character is Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary, they have to be authentic. If you treat even a Tertiary character as a placard or a stereotype, you lose respect as a writer. Every character, no matter how small their role, deserves your loving attention. They exist within your story universe just like your Protagonist, they just happen to bump into your plot much less. That doesn’t diminish the fact they have their own life-experience and world view.

Think of it this way: Every character is the Protagonist in their experience.

One of my favorite Secondary Characters is Brooks from The Shawshank Redemption. He plays a critical role as a False Mentor, providing one possible path for Red to take: suicide.

Other notable Secondary Characters:

• Violet in It’s a Wonderful Life
• Jeffery Goines in Twelve Monkeys
• The Wolf in Pulp Fiction

Notable Tertiary Characters:

• Ben in Blue Velvet
• Arthur Jensen in Network
• The Jesus in The Big Lebowski

While we absolutely need to immerse ourselves in the lives of our story’s Primary characters, a script with well-defined and distinctive Secondary and Tertiary characters suggests a writer who really cares about their craft.